Right of Passage for Moose

©WCS

A new study shows that pregnant moose move closer to town when it’s time to give birth. It’s not the pickles and ice cream they’re after, however, but security from road-shy grizzly bears. The study, by Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) biologist Dr. Joel Berger, focused on moose in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. By moving closer to people, the animals can better shield their calves from becoming bear dinner. The study was published in the journal Biology Letters.

WCS researchers tracked both moose and bears, finding that pregnant moose have shifted their movements each year for the past decade about 125 meters closer to roads during calving season.

“Given that brown bears avoid areas within approximately 500 meters of roads in Yellowstone and elsewhere, moose mothers have apparently buffered against predation on offspring using roadside corridors,” Berger said.

He also cited similar examples where prey species use humans as cover, including vervet monkeys in Kenya and axis deer in Nepal. Both have learned to avoid big cats by staying close to ranger stations. The bears and cats do their best to stay away from people for a simple reason, according to Berger: “We humans tend to be less kind to predators.”

Berger’s study reveals another interesting fact. National parks are not necessarily showcases of natural ecosystems; in some cases, the parks and the infrastructure we build to support the parks may unwittingly change or shape the behavior of wildlife in new ways.

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